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Robert nods. “Bennett. Good to see you again.”
We exchange the kind of handshake that’s more for optics than substance. Whatever friendliness was possible between us ended the moment he hard coded his daughter into the acquisition terms.
Then the door opens again.
Layla Carmichael walks in.
Navy suit. Crisp white blouse. Hair pulled back in a neat bun. Polished, poised, ready to go to war with a smile.
But all I see is green fabric and moonlight. The curve of her hip against mine. The sound of her voice in my ear.
She meets my eyes briefly. There’s a flicker of something that hits me right in my groin, but she smooths it over with a nod so professional it could be cut from glass.Down boy.
“Mr. Mercer.”
“Ms. Carmichael.” I gesture to the seat across from mine. “Thank you for joining us.”
She sits. Jenna passes around folders. Vicky offers Layla a polite smile. Logan doesn’t look up.
“As you all know,” I begin, “the Carmichael board has accepted our offer. Additionally, a clause has been added ensuring that Ms. Carmichael remains head of the Carmichael division for the next twelve months.”
Layla’s eyes flick toward Robert. “I wasn’t aware of that stipulation.”
Robert clears his throat, but I answer first. “Your father was… insistent about maintaining operational continuity.” I pause. “Given your familiarity with the business, it makes strategic sense.”
Caleb coughs pointedly.
I ignore him.
Layla studies me for a moment, then nods. “Iappreciate the confidence. I actually prepared some thoughts on integration structure.”
She distributes a document I haven't seen before—a comprehensive proposal outlining a dual-team approach to the transition.
“I put this together over the past few days,” she explains. “It preserves key institutional knowledge while accelerating high-impact opportunities, like NeuraTech, to help offset the need for broader layoffs.”
Vicky scans the pages, eyebrows rising. “This is impressive work.”
“Very detailed,” I add, noting the thorough cost analyzes and timeline projections. “Pragmatic approach.”
“It’s about finding balance,” Layla says evenly. “Leveraging internal expertise to minimize disruption while positioning our strongest assets where they can buy us more time.”
Smart. She's framing everything in business terms rather than emotional appeals.
“You prepared this without knowing you'd be staying on?” Vicky asks.
Layla nods. “I wanted to advocate for my team regardless of my own role.”
Something tightens in my chest. She was prepared to fight for her people even without job security.
“I'd like your input on the NeuraTech prototype,” Logan interjects. “The documentation was... limited.”
Layla's face brightens. “I can arrange a full demonstration. There's significant functionality that wasn't included in the data room.”
“Let's table that for now,” I say. “But your integration proposal has merit, Ms. Carmichael. I'd like to proceedwith the committee structure. With some modifications.”
Her expression shifts to surprise. “Of course. What modifications?”
We spend the next hour diving into details. Layla proves sharp, responsive, grounded. Every suggestion is rooted in data and logic. No theatrics or ego. Just focused, strategic execution.